This invention generally deals with gate structures and pertains more particularly to gating apparatus which is automatically unlatched and opened by a vehicle approaching the gate area and is automatically closed and relatched after the vehicle has passed therethrough.
Gating structures such as those commonly used in conjunction with fences in rural farm areas must often be maintained in a closed, latched position to prevent escape of livestock from fenced-in areas. Most of these type of gate structures are of sufficient width to accommodate agricultural implements and other vehicles, consequently, persons passing through such gated areas are often carried by a vehicle. When driving through such a gate, the individual must usually park and leave his vehicle in order to unlatch and open the gate to allow the vehicle to pass therethrough, and the vechicle must again be parked after traversing the gate to allow manual closure and relatching of the gate; this problem is compounded and is particularly time consuming in rural areas where several gates must be traversed in reaching a destination.
Others in the past have suggested the employment of actuatable mechanisms which might be engaged by an approaching vehicle to unlatch a gate, but these previous approaches have been unsatisfactory for one or more reasons. A primary reason for lack of success of prior art automatic gate apparatus is that previous actuating mechanisms which could be engaged by a vehicle such as a truck could likewise be engaged and actuated by livestock; thus, prior art automatic gate apparatus was subject to inadvertent actuation and was therefore unreliable.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies inherent in the previous automatic gate apparatus designs and provides gate apparatus having novel mechanism which not only assures positive automatic gate latching and unlatching but also prevents inadvertent gate opening and is therefore particularly reliable. Accordng to the present invention, a pair of swingably mounted gate sections each include a trigger portion engageable by a vehicle approaching the gate area from either side thereof, and further include mechanism for selectively releasing one of a pair of latching members mounted on each gate section from a latching bracket stationarily mounted on the ground thereby unlatching the corresponding gate section for swinging movement in the direction away from the approaching vehicle. Inclinded hinged mounting of the gate sections allow gravity to urge the gate sections to return to their normally closed positions after the vehicle has traversed the gated area. A locking assembly connecting the adjacent extremities between the gate sections functions to interlock the latter and prevents a single gate section from opening so that the engageable trigger portion of each gate section must be simultaneously engaged whereby to simultaneously actuate the associated latching mechanisms to a released condition and allow the gate sections to swing open at the same time.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a drive-through gate apparatus for automatically gating a zone extending across a passageway, which is automatically unlatchable and openable in response to the approach of a vehicle toward the zone and is automatically closeable and relatchable after the vehicle has trasversed the zone.
Another object of the invention is to provide gate apparatus including a pair of side-by-side, swingable gate sections which are normally latched in a closed position but which are automatically unlatched upon engagement therewith by a vehicle travelling therethrough and are swung to an open position under force exerted by the vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide gate apparatus of the mentioned type wherein a pair of spaced apart vehicle engageable trigger portions respectively associated with each of the gate sections must be simultaneously actuated in order to effect opening of either of the gate sections.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide gate apparatus of the type described which includes mechanism for interlocking the gate sections whereby to prevent the opening of one of such sections when only a single gate section has been unlatched thereby preventing inadvertent opening of either of the gate sections.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of gate sections of the mentioned type which are mounted for swinging movement in a plane inclined from horizontal whereby to employ the influence of gravity to cause the gate sections to return to their normally closed positions thereof after a vehicle has passed therethrough.
Other and further objects of the invention will be made clear or will become apparent in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.